Pilot Killed as U.S. F/A-18 Crashes in England

Firefighters and police rushed to a field near Redmere this morning after an American FA-18 fighter jet crashed there. There is still no explanation for why the plane went down. The pilot was killed.

The crash site is just a few miles from RAF Lakenheath, one of the British air bases still run by American forces. According toThe Guardian, the Hornet was one of six American fighters stopping off in the U.K. on its return home to the U.S. after a deployment to the Middle East. It reportedly failed to meet up with its tanker after its stop off at Lakenheath.

The U.S. Marine Corps said in a statement that it is still investigating the incident, but confirmed that the pilot tried to eject. The jet belonged to Marine Attack Fighter Squadron 232 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

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